IMPORTANT! PROSPECTIVE FRESHMEN OR TRANSFER STUDENTS WHO WANT TO APPLY TO ANY MAJORS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING -PLEASE NOTE THAT A CRITICAL FACTOR IS TO BE SURE THAT YOU LIST THE “IMPACTED” MAJOR AS YOUR “FIRST CHOICE” ON THE UC UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS APPLICATION.

EFFECTIVE FALL 2014: What it Means if a Major is in “Impacted” Status in the Department of Bioengineering:

Entering Freshmen: As an entering Freshman, if you either apply but are not accepted into the "impacted" Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology; Bioengineering: Bioinformatics or Bioengineering: Biosystems major directly from high school, OR if you didn't initiallyapply to one of those majors, you will be able to apply "one time only" to one of the four "impacted" majors in the first week of school in the subsequent fall quarter, as you begin your Sophomore year as a “Continuing” student.

If you have satisfied any of the required 9 courses byAdvance Placement ("AP") in high school, the relevant "requirement" is satisfied and your GPA will be based on the other required courses (e.g., if you have AP credit for MATH 20A, your GPA will be based on the remaining 8 required courses).

Each fall quarter, a certain number (determined on an annual basis) of “Continuing” Sophomore students who apply will be selected to enter the “impacted” Bioengineering; Bioengineering: Biotechnology; Bioengineering: Bioinformatics; or Bioengineering: Biosystems major. The selection process is entirely based on students having the highest GPA obtained in the 8-10 screening courses.

Entering Transfers: As an entering Transfer student, if you either apply but are not accepted into the "impacted" Bioengineering; Bioengineering: Biotechnology; Bioengineering: Bioinformatics or Bioengineering: Biosystems major directly from community college or another 4-year institution, OR if you didn't initially apply to one of those majors, you will be unable to apply to either of the “impacted” majors at a future time.

Graduation – You Must Satisfy “Departmental Major” AND “College” Requirements

UCSD has a very unique “college system” comprised of six colleges differing in educational philosophies and with regard to the type and number of required General Education (GE) courses you must complete. Regardless of your major, you may be assigned to any of the six colleges. Please review information about the six colleges in the online UCSD General Catalog, to assist you in determining which college may be the “right fit” for you!

As shown on the bottom line of the “Flowchart” for each of the four majors in Bioengineering, there are 10 “open” slots for completion of 40 units [10 humanities and social science (“HSS”) courses], toward satisfaction of college requirements. Please note, that since some colleges require more than the 10 HSS courses, students in these colleges may take longer than 4 years to graduate. Students should consult with their colleges to determine which “HSS” (General Education) courses to take.

If you are a current student, please contact the Bioengineering department through the Virtual Advising Center if you have any questions. If you are a prospective student, please contact Bioengineering Student Affairs at be-uginfo@bioeng.edu, if you have any questions.